Previously on LinkedIn: Why Killer Profiles Matter

Another week goes by and a lot of great LinkedIn tips unearthed including a simple articulation of how every professional should craft a killer LinkedIn profile, and more. As Sr. Social Media Manager at LinkedIn, I monitor the social media airwaves for business networking tips, tricks and news so you don’t have to. Here’s this week’s awesomeness!

As I speak with LinkedIn users I realize how sometimes even smart marketing types don’t get the SEO benefits of having a killer LinkedIn profile. As I mentioned earlier this week, it doesn’t you take you long to maintain a killer profile (see #2 here). And, a day later, I stumbled upon a succinct presentation that articulates effectively 8 key tips to gain some much needed SEO benefits for you.

The first few tips are useful for any professional, but they progress towards areas that’d make B2B marketers find value from LinkedIn. More on B2B marketing in the weeks to come.

The post makes an observation similar to what I’d add to social media guidelines for companies to share with their employees: “Think before you Tweet”. But that is applicable across all social media hubs since once it’s out there, it’s out there.

One important thing people don’t understand is that when they email, tweet, or comment on blogs, is, that whatever they type is written record. In many cases, the comments can be held against you in a court of law any day. There are enough examples of celebrities landing in trouble due to their tweets, aren’t there?

The bottom-line is this: just because you can type anything online doesn’t mean you should type anything. Not only does it reflect on you as a person, but, an inappropriate sentence typed in haste could go a long way in damaging your brand. So, think before you write. Doesn’t matter if it’s a tweet, a blog comment, an email, anything…just take a step back for a second and take a careful look before you hit the send button.

Also, as I’ve said before – I’d recommend keeping your social and professional life separate. More importantly, the post doesn’t make any mention of LinkedIn (and I find that surprising) or maintaining a robust SEO friendly LinkedIn profile (see #1 in this post – above). I can’ t think of a better way to manage one’s online reputation on the web than a LinkedIn profile.

Once you get past the name of the blog (Dumb Little Man) – just kidding – I think you’ll find a few good posts every month on productivity, savings, etc.

And, finally, once you build an online reputation I’m sure you’d want to parlay that into a great job. Sindhu quotes my good friend Lindsey Pollak on how financial professionals could get noticed using LinkedIn. There’s a lot of subtle netiquette explained, so read on.

For example: how about not spamming every potential hiring manager with generic messages on LinkedIn.

“Too many people think it’s about reaching out to strangers,” said Pollak, who cautions against inadvertent spamming. Start by connecting with people you already know, such as fellow alumni. “Then you can start to look beyond, at people who work for the company you’re interested in.”

Not hearing back? Follow up with a personalized email or a phone call. “Finance, like most all professions, are heavily about communication,” said Pollak. “So don’t neglect that.”

Simple, often neglected netiquette tips. I try to keep my weekly “Top of the LinkedIn” posts down to three quality articles on tips you may not have heard before. Now go out there and have a great weekend! If you’ve other categories you’d like me to cover more, feel free to leave a comment.

10 Responses

[…] Previously on LinkedIn: Why Killer Profiles Matter (via Mario Sundar) August 28, 2010 — John Moore Very good tips from Mario Sundar that you should check out. Another week goes by and a lot of great LinkedIn tips unearthed including a simple articulation of how every professional should craft a killer LinkedIn profile, and more. As Sr. Social Media Manager at LinkedIn, I monitor the social media airwaves for business networking tips, tricks and news so you don't have to. Here's this week's awesomeness! Ask me questions or @mariosundar me on Twitter 1. SLIDES: How to optimize a KILLER LinkedIn profile b … Read More […]

Mario, thanks for including my DLM article. The purpose of the post wasn’t to focus on the networks. Rather, how to use them in a way that it doesn’t land you in trouble (and help you build trust). Most of them are general tips that could be implemented on every social site you decide to use.

I think LinkedIn is also a great way to build trust and a network of trusted followers in the professional space, something other networks are not built to do. Look forward to your upcoming posts though.

Forgot to mention that LinkedIn no doubt is an amazing tool and I’d instantly recommend it to anyone who intends to manage their professional profiles online. So, I am with you on how useful LinkedIn is when it comes to online reputation management.

This post is fabulous and spot on. I recently moved from Colorado to Philadelphia. I conducted my job search exclusively on LinkedIn and had 6 job interviews lined up prior to even having my apartment figured out. Each of these job interviews turned into an offer and more than once I heard kudos for the online presence I maintained between LinkedIn and my sales blog (www.superseller.wordpress.com). I am a converted LinkedIn Junkie and am always looking for new ways to trick out my profile. I’ll have to check out the powerpoint app as you mentioned.

Mario, thanks very much for embedding BrainRider’s Slideshare deck on LinkedIn profile optimization. We’re always happy to share what we know with folks out there, and we’re huge fans and users of LinkedIn as a B2B marketing tool.

Having killer online profiles really do matter, especially in times when you can find pretty much anything on anyone online, a great LinkedIn profile (or any other)can make a huge difference. LinkedIn is a trusted online space that is credible it’s a very important piece of your online presence.